Music
Press
Even music journalists get it wrong on occasion (sorry to disappoint you). This naive reviewer will admit to previously slating Cats and Cats and Cats as “just another post-rock band” with another overwrought crescendo. These views were spurious, misinformed, and oh-so-wrong. Anyone who has listened to Cats and Cats and Cats (who, from this point onwards shall be more simply known as Cats) beyond a 30-second snippet will attest that such a summarisation really couldn’t be further from the truth. Post-rock has become a criminally un-cool tag, but this split LP with Oxford quintet This Town Needs Guns should defer the notion that Cats are just Mogwai with a chorus.
The evidence is plain to see. ‘Brilliant The Brilli Ant’ (geddit?) starts their side of this collection with a zig-zag of acute guitar pop and keyboard-assisted sing-alongs, proving that they have as many surprises up their sleeves as they do tunes. Cats want you to believe their music is the soundtrack to countless bouts of choral drunkenness, the musical culmination of everything good you can say about Mew and Arcade Fire – not the soundtrack to a looming apocalypse. The brilliant vocal chord change in ‘Sweet Drunk Everyone’ confirms this. Overwrought crescendos? No chance.
Elsewhere, the unrequited bombast of ‘Anchoress’ executes a symmetry of rapid-fire guitar pop and fine choruses with hardly a second of respite. ‘Tower Tower’ extends its brilliance to nine minutes with the kind of explosive epochs as played out on Battles’ Mirrored.
It pains me to say this, but I envy the grey backdrop of Staines for inspiring this young act to get off their arses and make some damn-fine music. They could have just followed in Hard-Fi’s path and written about a cash machine. Hip hip! - drownedinsound.com
Discography
Victorialand (EP) - 2005
Sweet drunk everyone (Mini album) - 2006
You'll never make it home (Single) - 2007
Split with This Town Needs Guns - 2007
Radio 1 Session for Huw Stephens - 2007
Where did you get lost to? (10" EP) - 2008
If I'd had an atlas (LP) - For Release Spring 2009
Photos
Bio
Starting in early 2005 when friends Ben and Tom met Doug at the University of Hertfordshire. Their debut EP, Victorialand, picked up some great reviews and the attention of the UK experimental rock underground. Never being ones to grow musically stagnant, Cats expanded their line up to include Adam and Eve to record 2006’s more ambitious mini album Sweet Drunk Everyone. Extensive touring followed with the band sharing stages with their heroes Youthmovies, 65 Days of Static, Foals and Blood Red Shoes and performing twice at 2007’s Glastonbury Festival. Soon after the band were approached by renowned Oxford indie label Big Scary Monster and the band jumped at the chance. BSM has been releasing consistently innovative and inspiring records for years and the label seemed like an obvious choice for the band. The split EP with Oxford’s This Town Needs Guns (Sept ’07) was a storming success and received rave reviews from the likes of NME, Rock Sound and Drowned in Sound. Huw Stephens invited both bands to record a Radio 1 Session which was aired in early October. Currently the band have just finished recording their first full length album due to be released late spring 2009. The album, titled If I’d had an atlas, contains 11 previously unreleased tracks and the band are currently looking for a label to work with for the release.
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